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E-mailAt the dawn of the 21st century, poor countries agreed a set of actions they would take to put an end to poverty, and rich countries agreed to support them, by reforming world trade and helping raise the funds for this new global strategy.
Ten years on from this Millennium Declaration, the economic crisis, which started in the richest countries, has spread throughout the world. Developing countries – those least responsible for the crisis – are bearing the brunt of its impact, pushing millions of people into the poverty trap.
With just five years left until the 2015 deadline, the world is at risk of failing in this historic venture. While enormous progress has been made on the eight targets agreed in 2000, the failure by rich countries to honour their aid and trade promises has raised serious questions about the achievement of the so-called Millennium Development Goals.
In September this year, world leaders will again meet at the United Nations, to review the successes, learn from the failures and to adopt detailed action plans to ensure the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
Ireland has a crucial role to play in this review process, in its own right and as part of the world's largest trading block, the EU. Our overseas aid programme is world class and has been shown to make a real – and long-lasting – difference in the lives of the world's poorest people. Yet our aid has not reached the levels we promised, and we have not delivered on the reform of the unfair trade rules that keep poor people locked in poverty.
As a small, open economy, Ireland depends on its global reputation as a reliable partner and as a people that keeps its promises. This year is our opportunity to cement that reputation.
It is imperative that we all do our bit to make poverty history. Let's make sure that when the Taoiseach travels to New York in September, he can do so based on a positive Irish track record and promises delivered for the world's poorest people.
Hans Zomer,
Director, Dóchas,
Harcourt Street,
Dublin 2
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There has never been and there never will be an end to poverty. Localised and intermittent alleviation perhaps, but never an end.
While Ireland acts in good faith on this matter and can make a decent footprint through its contribution to the alleviation of global distress, it is absolutely in no position to posture at either 'leadership roles', 'crucial roles' or the collection of 'kudos' from the global commentariat.
Last year we borrowed over €500 million to give away in Development Aid, an enormous amount of money that apparently confers not even a partial economic impact here at home! There is a lot of repaying required on €500 million in a country whose taxpayer base is shrinking as fast as ours.
We discover today that in the Leinster region alone 200 children in the care of authority have died and there's not a whit of an explanation why they died and how their deaths might have been avoided. The Irish people are stooped by debt and the number experiencing real hardship is an appalling legacy for a country about to celebrate the centenary of its nationhood.
We have a general government debt of €80 billion that will buckle the economic stability and prosperity of generations.
Our public expenditure is of the order of €60 billion but the economy is only capable, at the moment, of generating half of this. Our national interest is vested in the care of our own citizens and development aid takes its place after that.
Let us get realistic and coherent on what it is we can deliver; focus on the problems under our nose. Stop trying to be Miss Goody-Two-Shoes in front of the wider world - as if anybody really gives a damn. Our aid has not reached the level promised because the wretched country doesn't have the resources to enable that. What Cowen needs to do in New York next September is to act in the national interest, not launch an ego trip. Leave that to the television soap actors.